Florida shuts out Alabama softball in WCWS championship opener

From the University of Alabama Athletics Department:

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – In a battle of two of
the nation's top pitchers, it was Florida that quieted the Alabama bats, as the
Gators shut out the Crimson Tide, 5-0, in the Women's College World Series
championship series opener.

Alabama (53-12) went hitless until the fifth
inning and was shut out for just the third time this season, the first since
back-to-back shutout losses at Arizona in early February. Jaclyn Traina (26-4)
took the loss in the circle, throwing 6.1 innings with five runs, four earned,
off eight hits while Leslie Jury got the final two outs in the top of the
seventh in relief.

Florida (54-12) starter Hannah Rogers (30-8)
continued her stellar weekend at the WCWS, throwing a complete-game shutout
with just four hits allowed. The top four in the order accounted for six of the
team's eight hits, with the two, three and four-hole hitters combining to drive
in all five runs.

In the top of the third inning, Florida's Aubree Munro made the
game's first hit a big one, blasting a leadoff solo homer into left field to
give the Gators a 1-0 lead. Kelsey Stewart would draw a walk and advance to
second on a groundout but a lineout ended the half-inning with Florida in front
by one.

Kirsti Merritt doubled the Gators' lead in the top of the fifth,
roping a two-out double to the center field wall to score Stewart from first
and make it 2-0. Stephanie Tofft pulled the very next pitch into left field,
scoring Merritt from second to make it 3-0. A fourth-straight hit put two on
base but a groundout limited the damage though the Tide was now facing a
three-run deficit.

Kaila Hunt erased Rogers' no-hit bid in the bottom of the fifth,
leading off the half-inning with a single up the middle. A force out at second
base and a double play quickly ended Alabama's half of the inning however, as
the Tide couldn't cut into the three-run deficit.

Florida threatened immediately in the top of the seventh, as
Stewart hit a leadoff single and the throw on the ensuing sacrifice bunt
attempt went wide, putting runners at the corners with nobody out. A stolen
base moved two into scoring position and a long fly ball allowed both to move
up a base, scoring one on the sacrifice fly to make it 4-0. A double to right
field scored another as Florida moved ahead 5-0, ending Traina's outing the
circle as Alabama turned to Jury in relief. The junior did her job in relief, stopping
the Florida rally as the Tide headed to the bottom-half of the seventh trailing
5-0.

Haylie McCleney earned Alabama's second hit of the game to lead
off the bottom of the seventh, but a 1-6-3 double play quickly brought Alabama
down to its final out. Jadyn Spencer chopped a two-out single up the middle and
Hunt followed that with a single into shallow right field, but a groundout
ended it as Florida shut out Alabama, 5-0, in the opening game of the WCWS
championship series.

Game two of the series will be played on
Tuesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. CT and the game will be aired live on ESPN.